Scholars and students interested in
Bach’s cantatas, passions, organ works and canons.

RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION

All of the essays have individual significance.

obin A. Leaver needs little or no introduction to Bach scholars, having made a
considerable number of valuable and stimulating contributions to the study of
Bach’s life and works from a theological perspective.

Perhaps some will be less familiar with Leaver’s published work on aspects of
music and theology outside the realm of Bach studies:
these are suitably reflected in the chapters by Flynn, Crist, Pilkington and
Saliers. This review, however, will focus on the essays that deal specifically
with the activities and compositions of Bach.

Unsurprisingly, five chapters are devoted to Bach’s cantatas
and passions. Particular reference should be made to Kerala Snyder’s essay as it
contains an informative discussion of the hymnody sources available in Lübeck at
the end of the seventeenth and beginning of the eighteenth centuries, and to
Michael Marissen’s chapter which offers alternative translations, based on
contemporaneous Lutheran theology, of individual words and phrases from the
librettos of the following sacred cantatas: BWV 12, 28, 31, 39, 60, 80, 98, 122,
152 and 190. Although it is slightly disappointing that Marissen does not
indicate whether or not these examples are merely selective illustrations or the
result of an exhaustive survey, the task of accurately interpreting old language
and not distorting the original meaning or context is of vital importance for
scholars.

Contents

Preface

1

"The Soul Is
Symphonic": Meditation on Luke 15:25 and Hildegard of Bringen's Letter
23

William T. Flynn

2

Early Lutheran
Hymnals and Other Musical Sources in the Kessler Reformation Collection
at Emory University

Stephen A. Crist

3

Tradition with
Variations: Chorale Settings per omnes versus by Buxtehude and
Bach

Kerala J. Snyder

4

Bach's
Preluding for a Leipzig Academic CeremonyGregory Butler

5

Bach's Setting
of the Hymn Tune "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" in His Cantatas and
Organ Works

Anne Leahy

6

Historically
Informed Rendering of the Librettos from Bach's Church Cantatas

Michael
Marissen

7

The Role of
the "Actus Structure" in the Libretto of J. S. Bach's Matthew Passion

Don O.
Franklin

8

Two Unusual
Cues in J. S. Bach's Performing Parts

Daniel R.
Melamed

9

Johann
Sebastian Bach and the Praise of God: Some Thoughts on the Canon
Triplex (BWV 1076)

Albert
Clement

10

Bach and
Dresden: A New Hypothesis on the Origin of the Goldberg Variations
(BWV 988)

Yo Tomita

11

A Is
for Apple: The Search for an American Church Music; or the ABCs
of American Church Music: A Is for Apple, B Is for
Billings, and C Is for Chapman

Gregory Butler’s logical reconstruction of the organ works
Bach may have performed at the Peace Ceremony of 25 December 1745 is one of the
most intriguing chapters in this book. Despite the fact, as Butler himself
recognises, that his theories are speculative, the careful piecing together of
various strands of documentary, theological and musical evidence lends a
persuasive credibility to his conjectures.

Equally fascinating is Albert Clement’s contribution, which
develops a theory initially suggested in his PhD dissertation. Considering the
various connections that exist between the Canon triplex à
6 Voc (BWV 1076) and the Canonic Variations
on Vom Himmel hoch (BWV 769), Clement proposes that the
Canon triplex à 6 Vocdepicts the fifteenth and final verse of the hymn Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich
her, thereby ‘completing’ the Canonic Variations which set the preceding
verses. Such a perspective provides an interesting explanation for Bach’s
decision to submit both of these works to the Corresponding Society of Musical
Sciences in 1747, although it is unfortunate that Clement does not acknowledge
the link between the Society and the Musical Offering (BWV 1079). Clement
also applies his theological interpretation of the Canon
triplex à 6 Vocto the Haußmann portrait,
constructing a religious motto that could be incorporated according to the
historical tradition of canon portraits. While this suggestion is a logical
extension of his hypothesis, there are two questions that should be taken into
account: can it be assumed that the religious symbolism of this particular canon
was already in Bach’s mind in 1746, and if Bach similarly wished to express his
faith, why did he not do so explicitly?

Yo Tomita’s thought provoking chapter suggests that Dresden
may have significantly influenced the composition of the Goldberg Variations
(BWV 988) as Bach seems to have incorporated various elements from Dresden
sources in the first secular work published after his appointment as Hof
Compositeur to the Dresden Court. Amongst the compelling evidence is a
manuscript belonging to Jan Dismas Zelenka that contains two sets of interval
canons which are thoughtfully reproduced for the reader in full; this contextual
insight substantially aids our understanding of Bach’s canons, providing a
striking precedent for the series which he included in the Goldberg
Variations.

In conclusion, it is fitting to mention the elegant design of
the book’s cover – featuring ornate organ pipes flanked by two angels, it neatly
encapsulates the title of the volume and indeed mirrors the richness of its
content. Music and Theology is an impressive and appropriate anthology
that successfully pays tribute to the achievements of Robin A. Leaver.